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Panda Cub’s Eyes Begin to Open During Fourth Exam at San Diego ZooSan Diego Zoo Global Will Take Name Submissions Starting Sept. 17

The panda cub at the San Diego Zoo is starting to take a peek at the great, big world around him. During an exam on Wednesday morning, animal care staff could see the cub’s eyes beginning to open. This is right on track for this 45-day old male cub. It will take about another 20 days for the eyes to be fully open.

The cub now weighs 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms) and measures a bit more than 16 inches long (41.5 centimeters). Animal care staff are pleased with his growth and his weight gain; his abdominal and chest girth - 11.8 inches and 12 inches, respectively – show that he is nursing well from his mother, Bai Yun.

The San Diego Zoo follows the Chinese cultural tradition of naming the giant panda after it is 100 days old. Starting Sept. 17, 2012, the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy will begin taking name suggestions for the male cub on its website, http://www.sandiegozooglobal.org .

The names must be submitted in Chinese pinyin, which is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into Latin script, and significance of the name must be included to be considered. The Zoo will take submissions until Monday, Sept. 24, 2012.

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